A NeverEnding Love
by Genevievey
Summary: RV A sort of prequel to RV, detailing the history of Travis and Mary Jo Gornicke.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own RV, or the Gornickes. I'm just filling in the (many) missing details of their lives from the film.

A Never-Ending Love

Travis ran a hand through his hair, gazing at the flatness of the world zipping past outside the window.  
"You alright, buddy?"  
He looked across at his friend in the driver's seat, and forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine Will. Just tired."  
"Well, you'll get a good night's sleep tonight Trav, our spare bed's mighty comfy."

He nodded with another small smile, and turned to stare out the window once more. It wasn't that he wasn't glad to be spending the summer with Will and his family. It was just that in a month or so the summer would be over, and Travis would have to go back home, and follow the straight and narrow path his parents had set out for him.  
Just yesterday, he and Will had graduated Stanford University. Travis enjoyed it there well enough, he enjoyed the intellectual discussions, but lately he had begun to realise that his life in the real world was about to begin, and that he was he was desperately unprepared.  
Most of his life he had just accepted that he would become a lawyer, like his father. But now, he wasn't so sure. He didn't seem to be sure of anything right now; except that he only had one chance at a happy life and that if he went down the wrong path he could lose that chance. And being a lawyer, well…he was sure it would be such a busy, hectic job, it would take over his life. He'd probably be too busy to spend time with his family. If he even _had_ a family.

Travis' sigh was drowned out by the crunching of gears as Will slowed the car to enter…what was it called again? WELCOME TO BROKEN ARROW, read a large sign in the shape of a cowboy hat.  
"Ahhh, it's good to be home," grinned Will.  
As much as he tried to muster some enthusiasm for the quaint little town, Travis was still feeling distinctly miserable as the car pulled up outside Will's home. They had barely opened their doors when there was a cry from inside.  
"They're here!"  
And then there was a rush of footsteps and a little girl came running out of the gate. Will grinned and bent down to pull her up into his arms.  
"Betsy! Why, you must've gained 3 inches since I last saw you! I bet you're big as Old Blue now!"  
Betsy giggled, smiling up adoringly at her big brother. "Don't be silly, he's humungorous! Who's that?"  
"This is Travis, he's a friend from school. Travis, this is my baby sister Betsy."  
Travis nodded with an awkward smile. He was a little taken aback by the sudden and loud welcome, after hours of quiet driving. But if little Betsy was nothing to the room full of smiling faces as the Robins's greeted their son. Travis was introduced to everyone in a daze of smile and handshakes, trying his best to be polite.

He had recovered slightly half an hour later, seated at the dinner table with Mr. Robins, Mrs. Robins, Betsy, Jud (Will's younger brother), Uncle Tony and Aunt Mae.  
"So, Travis," said Mr. Robins, "What did you study at Stanford?"  
"Uh, Law…" he replied, lowering his gaze to study Aunt Mae's casserole surprise (which was surprisingly tasty for how it looked).  
"Ahh, Law…" Will's father nodded, and took another mouthful.  
"Have you always wanted to be a lawyer?" asked Mrs. Robins, with a polite smile.  
"Yes, well, it's my father's career as well."  
"Ah, a family business. Well that's nice."  
Travis was about to reply when the door behind him banged open, and he turned around in his seat.

Standing in the doorway behind him was a young woman who looked to be about twenty years old. She also looked to be very beautiful, and petite. Travis had barely had a moment to take her in before her face lit up and she hurried around the table to where Will sat.  
"Oh, Will, you're home!"  
"Hey there little sis! Long time no see."  
Now that he didn't have to strain his neck to look at her, Travis noticed that she was wearing denim shorts and cowgirl boots.  
"Oh, this is my friend Travis, from Stanford. Travis, this is Mary Jo, my other baby sister."  
Extending his hand, which suddenly felt terribly big and clumsy, he smiled up at Mary Jo. "Hi, pleased to meetcha," she beamed, leaning across the table to shake his hand vigorously. Smiling up at her, he was dimly surprised to find himself thinking of sunshine. Sunshine and cotton candy and…Oh God, he'd been staring. He lowered his gaze in embarrassment, and the girl giggled, squeezing into a seat between her siblings.  
"Ooh, it's Aunt Mae's casserole surprise! Yuh-mee!"

Travis yawned, closing his suitcase and pushing it under the bed. The spare room wasn't large, but the bed was soft and comfortable. He gazed up at a photo hanging on the wall, the entire Robins family grinning out of the frame. A grin lit his face as he recognized the girl who must've been Mary Jo. She was cute as a kid. She still was, come to think of it.  
Just as Travis mentally scolded himself for thinking that way about his friend's "baby sister", there was a knock on the door.  
"Travis?"  
It sounded a lot like Mary Jo, and he quickly sat up straight on the bed. "Uh, come in." The door creaked open, and a smiling blonde head popped in.  
"Hi. Don't mean to disturb, but Ma told me to bring you up a towel for the morning. Here ya are," she smiled, handing it to him. Travis smiled back, taking the towel and placing it on the end of his bed.  
"Thanks, and uh, thanks for havin' me stay, and all."  
"Oh, you're welcome," Mary Jo beamed, her perpetual smile brightening still further, "It'll be nice to have some new company around. Just make yourself at home. I'm sure you'll like Broken Arrow, it's a great little place. Well, g'night."  
"Goodnight," he replied, following her to the doorway.  
"Oh! And you'll have to excuse Jake. He's our rooster ya see, and he's a real early riser. I don't know what time zone he's runnin' on, but just shout out yer window at 'im and he'll hush up." She giggled again, and he found himself grinning back.  
"See ya tomorrow, Travis."

As he smiled at the now-closed door, Travis found himself thinking that this summer might be surprisingly enjoyable.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_Cockadoodle-doooo!  
_Travis groaned, burrowing deeper into his pillow in the hope of escaping the noise. He had been sleeping so peacefully, until Jake had decided to greet the dawn at…he checked the glowing clock on his beside table…half past three in the morning?! What was wrong with that rooster?!  
Travis was just about to follow Mary Jo's advice and shout at it, when he heard someone else beat him to it.  
"Oh, shuddup Jake!" It sounded like Mr. Robins, or maybe Uncle Tony.  
"Shuddup Dad, we're trying to sleep!" That was Jud.  
"Oh boys, stop yellin'!"  
Upon Mrs. Robins's command, the house and yard fell once more into a peaceful slumber.

When Travis woke hours later, the sun was streaming in through the window. He yawned, sitting up in bed. He actually felt very refreshed, considering the avian-alarm-clock incident. The man climbed out of bed and went to the window, gazing out at the new day. His mouth curved into an involuntary smile as he spotted Mary Jo leading an old-looking horse out through the gate, talking to it as she went. Travis threw on jeans and a shirt and made his way down for breakfast.

"Good mornin', Mr. Travis!"  
He looked down to see Betsy's little face smiling up at him. "Did you sleep okay?"  
"Fine, thanks."  
Following the little girl into the kitchen, a delicious smell filled his nostrils, and Travis realised that he was hungry. He soon discovered the source of the smell was the bacon and eggs that Uncle Tony was frying on the stove top.  
"Good mornin' Travis. Did ya sleep well?"  
"Fine thanks," he repeated, sitting down at the table.  
"Jake didn't wake you?"  
Travis shook his head. "I'm a pretty heavy sleeper."  
"Lucky you. Here, you can have first serving."

Travis finished off his breakfast with a glass of orange juice, while listening politely to Betsy ramble about her pet goat Daisy.  
"Thanks for breakfast, Tony."  
"Not a problem, kid. Hey, why don't you go see if you can find young Mary Jo out in the field, tell her her breakfast's waitin'."  
Travis grinned and nodded, thankful for the excuse to escape little Betsy, and for the excuse to see Mary Jo. As he watched his nephew's friend stroll out the back door, Uncle Tony smiled mischievously to himself.

Travis smiled, taking a deep breath of the morning air. Setting off across the yard, he rolled up his sleeves; there was already some heat in the sun. It was going to be a good day. Then he saw her, riding bareback astride Old Blue. She looked so tiny atop the big old horse that Travis almost laughed. He had just begun to make his way towards her, mentally rehearsing what he'd say, when he heard a shout.  
"Hey, Trav!"  
He was surprised to find himself groan inwardly as Will came jogging up behind him.  
"Mornin' Will."  
"Mornin'. You had breakfast already?"  
"Yeah, your Uncle Tony cooked me bacon and eggs. You know, after college, this place is heaven," Travis sighed contentedly, letting his gaze wander back to the girl atop Old Blue. Will chuckled.  
"Yeah, well, it's home." He followed his friend's gaze, and raised an eyebrow.  
"Were you lookin' for Mary Jo?"  
"Yeah, well, your Uncle Tony said I should fetch her, for, for breakfast."  
"Right," grinned Will, clapping his friend on the shoulder. "Well, don't you get any ideas, I know she's pretty, but she's my baby sister and I won't have her messed with, you hear?"  
Travis attempted a chuckle, and Will laughed outright, clapping his friend on the back again. "I'm just teasin', don't worry. Hey, there's a rodeo on today, we're all goin'. You should come too."

Travis couldn't help but laugh inwardly as he sat squashed between Will and Jud, piled into the back of the old truck that somehow transported the entire family. It was hot and stuffy inside the vehicle, but the Robins' family were in a mood for fun, and it was contagious.  
"You'll love the rodeo, Mr. Travis," Betsy informed him. "I've been goin' since I was two. I'm going to be a cowgirl when I grow up."  
Travis grinned, hearing Mary Jo stifle a giggle from the seat in front. Jud laugh and ruffled his little sister's hair. "You'll be the finest cowgirl in the state. Yeee-ha!"  
"Ooh, I know," exclaimed Mary Jo, turning around in her seat, "Let's have a sing-along." The entire family made murmurs of agreement, and then suddenly Travis was the only one not singing, "Ohhhhhh-klahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain!" Recognising the song, he grinned, and joined in.  
"And when we say….YEOW! A-yip-ieo-eay! We're only sayin' you're doin' fine Oklahoma, Oklahoma you're OK!"

Travis was almost disappointed to reach their destination and climb out of the old truck. Gazing around, it seemed to Travis that the Robins' would fit in very well at the rodeo. Everyone was excited and enthusiastic, and Mary Jo's cowgirl hat didn't look at all out of place.  
"This your first rodeo, Travis?" asked Mr. Robins, as they began to make their way through the crowd.  
"Yes, sir."  
"Well, the kids'll be able to explain it all to ya. Oh look, there are the Yanceys! We'll go socialize for a bit, how 'bout you kids meet us back here in an hour?"

The rest of the 'kids' followed Will and Travis, wandering around the area. Mary Jo came up alongside Will, and he grinned across at her.  
"You still wear that silly old hat?"  
She put a hand to her head, and poked her tongue out at him cheekily. "Of course I do. It was the best birthday present you ever gave me, and it still fits. Besides, it's lucky."  
Will rolled his eyes teasingly, and suddenly grabbed the hat off her head.  
"Hey! Give that back!"  
Mary Jo laughed, jumping to grab the hat from her much taller brother. "You big bully!" she slapped him playfully on the arm. Travis watched, amused by their play fight. Then Will held the hat behind his back, keeping it from his sister's reach, and before Travis knew what or why he was doing, he grabbed the hat from Will, and handed it back to Mary Jo, with a little wink.  
"There you are, ma'am."  
The girl grinned triumphantly at her brother. "Your friend here's a gentleman, Will. Maybe you could learn a thing or two."  
And before Will could muster a retort, she laughed and sauntered off into the crowd, pulling Betsy along by the hand.

An hour or so later, the entire group met back at the main arena, to watch the events.  
"Ooh, they're doin' bull ridin'. This is always good."  
"Not so good for the competitor, if they don't hang on," added Mary Jo, leaning on the fence next to Travis. When he turned back to the arena, the event had already started, and the brave cowboy was clinging to the beast for dear life.  
"C'mon boy, you can do it!"  
"Throw 'im! Throw 'im!"  
"Oh, shut up Will!"  
As Travis laughed at the siblings' enthusiasm, the gentle breeze suddenly gained strength, whipping Mary Jo's lucky hat off her head and into the arena.  
"Oh, my hat!"  
For the second time that day, Travis felt himself compelled to do something completely illogical.  
"I'll get it," he said, and leapt over the wooden boundary, before anyone could stop him. Once actually in the arena, it occurred to Travis that perhaps this wasn't such a good idea, but nevertheless he bent to grab the cowgirl hat from the dusty ground. Looking up, he saw the great beast and rider bucking towards him, and heard horrified murmurs from the crowd. He sprinted back to the fence and leapt over it, catching his foot on the post and landing heavily at Uncle Tony's feet, his head making a thudding noise as it connected with a wooden support post.

The Robins' family stared down at him in shocked silence. Seeing stars, Travis raised his hand feebly, offering the lucky hat back to it's owner. And then there was black.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The first thing Travis Gornicke saw when he opened his eyes was something dark, cold and damp covering his face. The second thing he saw was a very beautiful face gazing worriedly down at him as Mary Jo mopped his brow.  
"Oh, thank God, you're awake."  
Travis attempted to sit up, but the dizzy pain in his head quickly convinced him otherwise. "Where am I?"  
"We took you home. You're in your room. We were afraid you might've been concussed. How do you feel?"  
"Alright," he grunted, letting his eyes close again. Mary Jo gazed down at him as she soothed the gash on his brow with a cold flannel. The pain in Travis' head was gradually subsiding, but it was soon replaced with a jolt in his stomach as he remembered exactly what had happened. He'd made a damn fool of himself in front of Mary Jo and the whole family, and they'd left the rodeo early because of him. He'd ruined their day out. At that moment, Travis wished the soft mattress would just swallow him up and he'd never have to face them again. What must Mary Jo think of him…

"That was brave of you, what you did. I mean, _crazy_, but very brave." She removed the flannel again, and smiled down at him. "Thank you."  
It was probably something to do with hitting his head, but Travis felt a rush of warmth flood through him under that glowing smile. Of course, she was just being polite. She probably thought he was a complete idiot.  
"Uh, you're welcome."

It was just after dinner when Travis finally made his way into the lounge, dread and embarrassment swirling in the pit of his stomach. As he entered, the Robins' looked up, and there were smiles and sighs of relief.  
"Oh Trav, you're up."  
"There's our brave buckaroo."  
"Are you feeling alright, dear?"  
He sat down, trying to avoid their eyes. "I'm okay, thanks Mrs. Robins."  
"Is this the kind of chivalrous behaviour you think I need to learn from Trav, sis?" Will teased. Mary Jo rolled her eyes. "Don't mind him, Travis," she winked, "He just feels bad 'cause he'd never do anything that brave."  
Will snorted, and Travis took a sip from his glass to avoid Uncle Tony's knowing smile.

Travis sighed, putting a hand to his forehead. He felt fine, now. Apart from his damaged pride. It had been sweet of Mary Jo to stick up for him at dinner…She was always sweet…The man groaned, burying his face in his hands. What was he thinking? He kept hearing Will's words echoing in his brain: _"Don't you get any ideas, she's my baby sister…"  
_He jumped as the kitchen clock began to chime eleven. Sighing, he rose to his feet and poured himself a glass of water. Moments later, the door creaked open, and Travis whirled around. Mary Jo stood in the doorway.  
"Oh, hi. How are you feeling?"  
"I'm okay, thanks," he replied, suddenly less eager to go back to his room. The woman made her way around the room to him, and poured herself a glass of water.  
"I feel awful about today," she said suddenly, "If it weren't for my silly hat you'd never have jumped that fence."  
Travis shook his head, shocked she could even think of blaming herself. "No, it was my fault. I mean, I should've been more careful as I was jumpin'."  
The guilt on her face faded a little, replaced with the beginnings of a smile. "Well, it's—"  
Mary Jo was interrupting by a distant crackling noise, and a boom. The man jumped.  
"What was that?"  
She chuckled. "Oh, that's just some of the local boys settin' off firecrackers. They're never long started when someone catches them out."  
Travis could see her mind tick over as a mischievous grin lit her features.  
"Come with me."  
Mary Jo grabbed his hand and he found himself being pulled out into the dark yard.

"You can always see them from up here," she whispered with a grin, and started to climb a rickety-looking ladder to the old water tower. Travis followed her up the ladder, feeling terribly big and clumsy.  
"Come on!"  
When he reached the top of the ladder, Mary Jo was sitting on the platform, dangling her legs over the edge. Following her gaze, Travis spotted the glowing fireworks in the distance. She patted the spot next to her, indicating he should sit.  
"I come up here to watch them sometimes, when I can't sleep."  
"I can see why," he nodded, sitting down.  
"Of course, it's even better on the 4th of July. It's a shame you'll miss it."  
Travis nodded, feeling awkward and gangly and extremely unworthy to be sitting next to the most beautiful girl in Oklahoma on what could easily be misconstrued as a romantic rendezvous.

Mary Jo broke the silence. "Well, I know you haven't had the best start to your summer, but honestly, life with the Robins' isn't as bad as all that," she smiled.  
Travis grinned. "I'm enjoying this summer already, despite my little…adventure. You guys are a fun family to be around; it's gonna be a good summer break."  
They shared a smile, then turned to gaze out at the distant glow of fireworks. He kept sneaking glances across at her in spite of himself, captivated by how she looked in the glow of evening, the warm breeze whipping her curls around her face. He was quite startled when she spoke.  
"They're pretty, huh?"  
Travis nodded. "Beautiful."  
She turned to look at him, and her lips curved into that same smile that had made him feel all warm earlier. It had the same effect now. But then she suddenly lowered her gaze, before turning back to look at the fireworks again.  
"Well, I don't think the show's gonna last much longer. I'm off to bed."  
She stood up carefully, and made her way around the platform to the ladder. Travis was a little disappointed by her abrupt departure, but tried not to make it obvious, muttering, "Yes, of course," and trying to make room for her to squeeze past.  
"Well, goodnight," she offered him another small smile before disappearing down the ladder. "Goodnight," he replied.  
He got to his feet, following her to the ladder. When she reached the bottom, she smiled up at him and winked, "Be careful on your way down, you've had enough injuries for one day."

Travis smiled down at her, but his smile faded a little as he watched her stroll back inside. Had she read something into his words and gotten scared? He hadn't meant to make his feelings obvious. _These feelings that you shouldn't even be having,_ his inner voice scolded him, _she's your friend's little sister, and you only met her yesterday, for heaven's sake!  
_Gazing out at the night, Travis Gornicke sighed. It didn't look like there was going to be anymore fireworks.

Mary Jo Robins was brushing her teeth, and muttering heatedly at herself around the brush. "And just what did you…think you were doing, inviting…him up onto the tower to watch…fireworks in the moonlight?!" She paused to spit out toothpaste.  
"Fireworks?! In the _moonlight_?! When you know very well that you have—" her monologue halted as she rinsed her mouth out, "Hopeless Romantic Syndrome!"  
She heaved a frustrated sigh at herself, and paused to address her own reflection.  
"Oh Mary Jo, what are you getting yourself into?"

Mary Jo was feeling a little calmer several minutes later, and she lay in bed, her golden curls cascading down her shoulders.  
"He _is_ very sweet…rescuing my hat for me, and…" suddenly realising that she was smiling like a fool, she clenched her fists. "Oh, for heaven's sake, I don't even know him! He's been here a day. Why am I acting like such a…schoolgirl?! Anyway, he's probably not as sweet as he seems. And there are plenty more attractive men round Broken Arrow."  
Mary Jo gritted her teeth, and stared back at her old teddy bear, who seemed to be raising one eyebrow sceptically.  
"What are you looking at, Ted?!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Several hours after Jake's first wake-up call, Travis climbed out of bed, with a plan firmly formed in his mind.  
Short term: conceal attraction to Mary Jo.  
Longer term: suppress attraction to Mary Jo.

She, too, was resolutely as she tied her hair back with a colourful bandana.  
Step 1: Avoid any thoughts/actions/situations involving Travis Gornicke that have the slightest hint of romance.  
Step 2: …See Step 1.  
Mary Jo nodded firmly at herself in the mirror, with a confident smile. Then she blinked, frowned, and decided that her pink bandana would look prettier.

The days were slowly rolling by, and Travis was beginning to settle in to life with the Robins'. And what's more, he enjoyed their lifestyle. He got up each morning, had breakfast with Uncle Tony and whoever else hadn't already eaten, then spent the day exploring Will's old hang outs and helping around the house when he could. Travis was very aware how kind it was of them to have him stay, so out of gratitude he often washed the dishes for Mrs. Robins, or offered to do some chore that would otherwise have landed on the kids.

Travis' plan was also going fairly well; he often didn't notice that Mary Jo wasn't there (until she came back in of course, which would result in a moment of heart-thudding) and he could even be relaxed enough to clown around with Will in front of her. Of course, she was no less pretty or sweet than she had always been, but…well…it was an improvement, right?

Travis was losing track of how long he had spent in Broken Arrow by the time that Saturday rolled around. When he awoke and began to go through his normal morning routine, he realised that it was only 8am and that it was very warm already. _Very_ warm.  
"Morning Travis," nodded Uncle Tony, who was actually wearing a tank top instead of his usual tartan shirt. "It's gonna be a hot one."

And Uncle Tony was right. By half past one, the entire Robins family had given up on doing anything remotely like work, and were all lounging in the shade of the front porch with cold drinks.  
"Oh my goodness," sighed Betsy, "It is just _so_ hot."  
Will nodded in agreement, fishing an ice cube out of his drink and pressing it to the back of her neck, making the little girl jump. Mary Jo chuckled. "That's not a bad idea, actually. I think I'll just go curl up in the freezer."  
"I would race you there, if I could be bothered moving."  
The woman smiled and sauntered into the house, followed by Betsy. Will glanced across at his friend, who was pressing a cold beer bottle to his cheek.  
"Trav, you can take that tank top off, we won't mind," Will offered, gesturing to his own bare chest. Travis shook his head. "I'm fine thanks, buddy."  
It _was_ too hot to wear anything you didn't have to, but Travis wasn't comfortable going bare-chested with the women present.  
Mr Robins yawned and closed his eyes, and Jud was just about to slowly pull the beer bottle of out his hand, when something round and pink landed on the front step, and a moment later, the victims were considerably wetter than they had been before.  
"Waterfight!" yelled Betsy, who had run around the side of the house, and soon Mary Jo was at her side, dividing up their ammunition of water-balloons. A grin split Will's face and he leapt to his feet, sprinting off the front porch and making for the garden shed. "Trav, follow me!"  
Laughing to himself, Travis ran after his friend, dodging the water balloon that Betsy aimed at him.

Minutes later, the two teams faced each other on the lawn; Will and Travis on one side, Betsy and Mary Jo on the other, with Jud to help them against the two fully-grown men. "Let's do this the right way, fairly," said Will, with a glint in his eye as he turned to the front porch. "Say when, Uncle Tony."  
From the porch, Tony grinned. "On your marks…get set…throw!"

Suddenly Will and Travis were met with an barrage of colourful water balloons, and they ducked and laughed and put up their arms to defend themselves. Not all of the balloons popped at first, and Will aimed them straight back at his two sisters. As soon as the first supply of water balloons was exhausted, the boys took the opportunity to prepare their best weapons while the girls refuelled. When Mary Jo and Betsy ran back to the middle of the battlefield, they were met by boys with buckets of water.  
"You wouldn't…"  
"Oh really?"  
Mary Jo squealed as she managed to dodge most of the bucketful, but some of it got her legs. "Okay, now it's war," she narrowed her eyes at her brother, and while he laughed at the look on her face she wrenched the bucket from his grip.  
"Hey!"  
Travis still had his bucket, and so the fight ensued. There was much laughter and squealing, especially when Will grabbed his sister around the waist and held her steady while Travis advanced with the water.  
"This is so cheating! Uncle Tony, they're breaking the Geneva Convention, rules of warfare—" Mary Jo was cut off as Travis emptied the bucket over her, making sure he got a lot of the water on Will. He couldn't help but grin at her as she spluttered.  
"And I thought you were a gentleman!" she teased, promptly popping a water balloon over his head. It was Travis' turn to laugh and splutter.  
"Why, you little…Come back here!"  
Uncle Tony chuckled to himself as he watched the young'uns at play.

Eventually a truce was made, and four Robins' and one Gornicke lay down on the grass to dry off. Will handed his friend a beer, and they just lay there, arms folded behind their heads in contentment. Travis allowed himself a glance across at Mary Jo, who appeared to be snoozing with her lucky cowgirl hat over her face. Then he quickly averted his eyes from the still-wet clothes clinging to her curves. _Dammit._

Travis sighed in contentment. He had a feeling that this was what life ought to be like. Good friends, a cold beer, a pretty sunset and a beautiful girl…Catching himself out again, Travis sighed and took another sip of beer. _Dammit._


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER:** We all know that I don't own RV, the Gornickes, or the Dolly Parton lyrics in this chapter.

**Chapter 5**

Several days later, Travis awoke to the patter of footsteps outside his room, and a jubilant little voice. "Happy Birthday to Me, Happy Birthday to Me!"  
He grinned, without opening his eyes. Betsy.

"Happy birthday, Betsy," Travis smiled as he entered the kitchen, where the family were seated around the table.  
"Thanks, Mr. Travis. I'm six today."  
The man raised his eyebrows, and replied "My, you're practically a lady," earning him a stifled giggle from Mary Jo.  
"So Ma," said Will, pushing his empty bowl away, "What are we doing for Betsy's birthday?"  
Mrs. Robins smiled. "Well, after she's received her gifts, I think a party is in order."

Travis felt bad that he didn't have a gift for Betsy, but the little girl assured him that it didn't matter, and that he could make up for it by being on her team for baseball. They filled in the morning with match after match, with some fierce competition between Will and Jud, and much laughter at Mary Jo as she skipped, hopped and stumbled from base to base. The real highlight was when Betsy tapped the ball gently and ran for home base; she wouldn't have made it if Travis hadn't run up behind her, scooped her into his arms and slid them both into home base.

Which team actually won was still a matter of debate by the time the young people headed inside, where a large pink cake with six candles was waiting for a certain little girl. Mary Jo helped her little sister blow out the candles, reminding her to make a special birthday wish. When everyone had had their fill of the best cake Travis had ever tasted, Mr. Robins pulled out some old records and let Betsy choose which one to play first.  
"Ooh, um…Dolly Parton, please Daddy."

Travis could only watch and laugh as Betsy and her older sister danced around the lounge, pink party hats nearly falling off their heads.  
_"Workin' 9 to 5  
What a way to make a livin  
Barely gettin by  
Its all takin  
And no givin…"_

The track changed, and suddenly Betsy stopped.  
"Mary Jo…?"  
"Yes, honey?"  
"Will you sing for me?"  
The rest of the family immediately made enthusiastic murmurs of agreement, but Mary Jo looked a little embarrassed. "Oh, I don't know…"  
"Pleeease? It _is_ my birthday."  
The woman looked down at her little sister, a reluctant smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Ohhhh…alright."  
"Yay!"  
Mr. Robins sat down at the old piano, and Jud pulled an acoustic guitar out of nowhere. Mary Jo smiled at them, nodded, and they began to play. If Travis was impressed by the accompanists, when the singer began he was entirely flawed. Mary Jo was smiling around the room with a look of shy enjoyment.

_"Here you come again,  
Just when I'd begun to get myself together  
You waltz right through the door, just like you've done before  
And wrap my heart round your little finger…"_

Uncle Tony smiled at his niece. She really did have talent. And she just glowed when she sang…especially today. She was acting the song as well as singing it, singing some lines directly to Betsy, others to the rest of her audience.

_"All you got to do is smile that smile  
And there go all my defences  
Just leave it up to you, and in a little while  
You're messin' up my mind, and fillin' up my senses…"_

Travis couldn't help but smile as Mary Jo performed, playing up for her little sister, and he felt a familiar rush of warmth when she smiled at him. It must've been a coincidence that she chose the line 'All you got to do…' to look at him. Just coincidence. Mr. Robins began to clap along, and soon everyone was joining in.

_"Here you come again,  
Lookin' better than a body has a right to  
And shakin' me up so, that all I really know  
Is here you come again  
And here I go."_

Betsy laughed at the way her sister put a hand to her heart, as though someone really was "shakin' her up". The audience burst into applause, and Mary Jo giggled, hugging Jud around his guitar.

The crumpled pink party hat still crowned Betsy's little head as the family sat around the table after dinner. "What shall we do now, Bets?"  
"Let's play The Game of Life!"

There were too many Robins' to play the board game, so teams were formed; Mr. & Mrs. Robins, Uncle Tony and Aunt Mae, Mary Jo and Betsy, and Will and Travis (Jud didn't want to play). "Alright," said Uncle Tony, "Everyone has to decide whether they want to Start College or Start a Career."  
Looking at the diverged path on the board, Travis wondered what would've happened if he'd gone the other way. Will just put their little plastic car on the 'Start College' path. Then the wheel was spinning, and the game had begun.  
"Adopt a pet! Yay, we get a Life Card!"  
"Buy books and supplies. Pay $5,000?!"  
Travis smiled softly to himself when his card landed on the 'Make new friends' square, and Will picked up a Life Card.

"Ooh, we've got a compulsory stop, Bets," explained Mary Jo, as she moved the little white car containing two pink pegs. "We have to get married."  
The little girl wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Do we have to?"  
"How about I marry him, and save you the horror," the older sister winked, placing a blue peg in the car next to pink ones.

After an hour of always just missing the green 'Pay Day' square and ending up as a policeman with two sets of twins, Will and Travis lost the game quite badly to Aunt Mae and Uncle Tony.  
"This was fun, I didn't even mind not winning," smiled Betsy, unable to hide a yawn.  
"Come on, Birthday Girl," smiled Mary Jo tenderly, as she scooped her little sister up into her arms. "Bedtime."  
Betsy waved over her sister's shoulder as they disappeared down the hall.

Travis was still smiling to himself as he pulled off his shirt for bed. It had been a good day. Possibly the best day he'd spent with the Robins' so far. He loved the way they lived. Carefree, happy, unafraid to make fools of themselves and have fun. They were a real…family. Looking in the mirror, Travis realised that his parents wouldn't recognised this suntanned, grinning young man. He was never like this around them. Not that he didn't love them, but they were just very different from the Robins'. The game of life had taken them down a very different path.

Still staring at his reflection, Travis felt very aware that he now stood at the first square on the board, and that his future did not depend on a plastic spinner, but on decisions he made himself. Travis was uncertain which path would bring him the most happiness, but he was beginning to get the idea that if his path ended him somewhere like where the Robins' were at, he could surely consider himself a winner…


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

It was raining. The Robins' had gone for a trip to the mall in town, and Travis had decided to stay home, since he was tired. He was tired, but he was also…disconsolate. Although he still had two weeks left, he was all too aware of the impending end of summer break. He felt like all the problems of the real world were waiting just outside his vision, and as soon as he stepped out of the blissful haven of the Robins' house that everything would be just as dull and grey as it was before.

Another thing that was weighing heavily on Travis' mind was that he'd made a decision. Having decided on a course of action should have been a weight off the man's shoulders, but since that particular course involved telling his father that he wasn't going to be a lawyer, it was no relief at all.

The man sighed, watching raindrops cascade down the windowpane, wishing he had something to distract him from his misery. Then he blinked as he thought he heard a familiar voice from down the hall.  
"Here you come again, just when I'd begun to get myself together…"  
Travis covered his face in his hands. The last thing he needed right now was Mary Jo to make him feel even more awkward and breathless than he already did…Or maybe it was the first thing he needed…

Mary Jo sang to herself as she strolled down the hallway. She'd slept late today, and recently woken from a very pleasant dream that the romantic part of her mind kept replaying, and the sensible part of mind tried to ignore.  
"Here you come again, just when I'd begun to get myself together…"  
She swung the kitchen door open, and jumped when she realised she was not alone. Travis was sitting at the table, looking surprised to see her.  
"Oh, good morning Travis," she offered a small smile, blushing a little as the memory of her dream came back that much stronger.  
"Hi Mary Jo. I didn't realise you were here; everyone else has gone to town."  
"I slept in late," she explained, sitting down opposite him at the table. There was an awkward silence, and the woman took a sip of orange juice from her glass. Then she stood up again. "I guess I should go lead Old Blue into the barn."  
She pulled on a raincoat and ran out into the rain.

Mary Jo patted Old Blue on the nose, now that they had reached the shelter of the barn. She leaned against his warm neck.  
"Should I, Blue? It'd be very easy just to let myself go and see what happens. Very, very easy. I mean, really, what's the point in pretending not to feel what I do feel? And what have I got to lose? Other than my heart."  
Mary Jo sighed, and ran a hand through her damp curls. "The funny thing is, I'm quite willing to lose that. I'm sick of being sensible. Even if it is just a summer fling, I…I want to. Yes, I want to." She patted the horse on the neck, and ran out into the rain, holding her coat over her head.

The woman hung up her coat in the hall, and straightened her hair, before 'casually' strolling back into the kitchen. Travis looked up and smiled, and Mary Jo noticed that that familiar feeling in her stomach had multiplied ten times since her conversation with Old Blue.  
"He's nice and cosy in the barn now," she smiled, and cringed inwardly at how silly she sounded. But Travis smiled, picked up her now-empty glass and turned away to wash it with the other dishes in the sink.  
"You don't have to do that."  
"I can't just enjoy your hospitality without helping out a bit."  
Mary Jo smiled at his good manners, and picked up a cloth to dry the dishes.  
"That's a, uh, pretty bandana you're wearing."  
A rush of warmth flowed through the woman, settling in her cheeks, and she smiled, touching the pink bandana in her hair. "This? Oh, thanks."  
There was a thrillingly awkward silence. All too soon they'd finished their chore, and there was nothing to distract them anymore.

"Well—" "I—"  
They both stopped, and Mary Jo giggled.  
"You go first."  
"I was just thinkin' of doing some baking. Remember those apples we picked the other day?"  
Travis nodded, grinning at the memory of Will juggling apples, and even more so at the memory of Mary Jo tripping down the bottom step of the ladder and landing in his arms.  
"Well, I thought I'd make an apple pie for the others, when they get home."  
"Good idea," the man grinned. "I would offer you my services, but I'm afraid I never paid much attention in cooking class at school."  
She chuckled, "Well that's okay, you can't be worse than Jud."  
Going to the pantry, Mary Jo stretched up onto her tip-toes, trying in vain to reach the flour from the top shelf. Travis grinned, finding her futile struggle cute and very amusing, but he stood up and followed her to the pantry, reaching from behind her and lifting the flour down easily. She turned around to find him grinning down at her, and smiled weakly as she became very aware of how close they were standing.  
"Thanks."  
He stepped aside, allowing her to pass, and she returned to the bench, turning away for a moment to hide the blush rising in her cheeks.  
"Since you're so keen to be helpful, how about peeling these apples for me?"

"And Will just said, 'What are you looking at?' "  
Travis' laugh mixed with the woman's giggle as she placed the circle of dough in a pie dish. He'd never get sick of that giggle; it was as bright and intoxicating as bubbly champagne. And he was really enjoying hearing stories about Will's childhood antics.  
"Uh, what do I do now?"  
"Right, now we pour in the filling," she explained, taking the bowl of apple-mixture from him, and pouring it into the pie dish. Once the pie was all ready, Mary Jo put it into the oven, and turned to address the mess of bowls and pots.  
"Hey look, more dishes!"

Mary Jo was laughing as she washed, waving the brush around in conversation, sending a cluster of detergent bubbles flying onto Travis' shirt.  
"Thank you."  
"What?" She turned, and realised what she'd done. "Oh sorry," she laughed, stepping closer to brush them off his chest.  
"That's okay," the man replied, before sweeping more bubbles off a plate he was drying and dumping them on top of her head. She gasped.  
"Not in my hair?! Ooh, you just crossed the line, mister."

When Will entered his kitchen, he found his little sister and his best friend laughing hysterically as they swatted bubbles at each other. Realising they were not alone, they stopped abruptly.  
"Oh, hi Will," said Travis, as casually as possible, trying to keep the laugh from his voice.  
"We made y'all a pie," added Mary Jo.  
"Right," said Will, looking distinctly suspicious. Then he went back down the hall, and they burst out laughing again.

Travis still hadn't wiped the grin off his face as he was about to climb into bed, when there was a knock on his bedroom door.  
"Come in."  
The door creaked open, and Will stepped inside.  
"Oh, hey Will."  
"Hey Trav. Uh…Trav?"  
"Yeah?"  
"I…I guess I'm just gonna come straight out with it…Is there somethin' goin' on between you and my sister?"  
Travis took a deep breath. "I think Betsy's a little too young for me…"  
"You know which sister I'm talkin' about, Trav."  
"…Mary Jo?"  
"Yes. Well…?"  
Travis was beginning to sweat. If he admitted the truth, Will might hate him, or try and stop anything from happening between them. But Travis Gornicke hated to lie.  
"Well…No. I mean, she's a great girl and everything, but I just think of her as a friend. We were just muckin' round today in the kitchen, goofing off. Nothing happened."  
Will looked relieved. "Okay. Well, just checkin'. 'Night Trav."  
"'Night."

As Will walked away down the hall, he bumped into his sister, who was standing in the bathroom doorway, opposite the spare bedroom. It occurred to Will that she wasn't her usual perky self.  
"You alright, sis?"  
"I'm fine, Will. Just fine."  
Mary Jo Robins marched down the hallway, went into her room, shut the door, and began to cry.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Do you really have to go home tomorrow, Mr. Travis?"  
He turned to smile at Betsy, who was watching him pack from the doorway.  
"I'm afraid I do, Bets."  
"You'll come back and visit us next summer, won't you?"  
Travis managed a smile. "We'll see. We'll see."

Travis Gornicke felt miserable. His summer break was over, which meant going back to a serious life, and facing his father. But more than not wanting to leave, Travis regretted that he had not particularly enjoyed the last two weeks of his vacation. He'd still had fun with Will and Jud and Betsy, and enjoyed talking to Uncle Tony and Mr. Robins.  
But Mary Jo had changed in the last few weeks. She'd withdrawn into herself whenever she was around him. God, he missed that giggle. He couldn't work it out; she'd been very relaxed and fun that pie-making day, and unless he'd imagined it out of wishful thinking she'd actually been flirting with him once or twice. And then suddenly she was guarded, and not as warm. He never had a chance to talk to her alone either, she was always with one of her siblings.  
Travis was almost glad to leave, so that he wouldn't have to see her every day and know that she thought nothing of him. But he wished that he could've had more reason to want to stay.

Travis sighed, and rolled over onto his back. If only he could get to sleep. It was as if his subconscious was torturing him by making him stay awake all night, knowing that this was very likely his last night ever in the most fun house he'd ever been in, and that he could never have the girl who was sleeping down the hall.  
The man jumped in surprise as he heard a distant boom, then a crackling. He sighed again, and climbed out of bed.

Mary Jo was leaning against the water cylinder, dangling her legs off the tower. Her eyes were fixed on the glow of fireworks in the distance, but she wasn't thinking about them. After tomorrow, she'd never have to see him again. He wouldn't be everywhere she looked, reminding her of how foolish she'd been to let her heart override her head. She'd never make that mistake again.

There was a noise below, and the woman jumped as she heard someone making their way up the ladder. Maybe it was Will, he might've seen her out his window, and—It was Travis. Mary Jo set her jaw firmly, determined not to show any weakness. He looked surprised to see her.  
"Oh! I didn't realise you were up here, sorry."  
"Figures."  
She had hoped her dry retort would convince him to climb down, but instead he climbed up onto the platform, took a few steps closer, and sat down next to her. Mary Jo clenched her fists, not sure she could bear him being so close.  
"I leave tomorrow," he said eventually.  
"Yes." She made no attempt to further the conversation.  
"I've had a good time."  
"Good."  
"You were right, Broken Arrow really is a great little place."  
The woman clenched her fists tighter at his allusion to the last time they'd sat up here together. He glanced at her, waiting for some response.  
"It's been a good summer, I consider myself lucky to have spent time with your family, and you." Travis paused. "And whatever I did wrong in the past weeks, I'm sorry."  
Mary Jo gritted her teeth. _  
Oh, don't apologise. And don't look at me like that, it's not helping at all. Oh Lord, those eyes…No, stop it! He knows very well what he's done, and he's not sorry at all. He's just a very good actor. A very good actor._

Travis' eyes were pleading, and he tried again. "Look, I…I may as well tell you this, since I leave tomorrow…You'll probably laugh in my face, but...well, you've got such a sweet laugh that I'd rather you were laughing than sitting there silent…I…I care about you, Mary Jo."  
She swallowed hard, and averted her eyes.  
"I've really enjoyed your company over the summer, and I…I'll miss you, and…Ithinkyou'rebeautiful, and…"  
The night suddenly seemed a lot warmer. Mary Jo found that breathing was suddenly an effort, as was keeping her eyes from his. She wanted to believe him so much.  
"And…heck, Mary Jo, do you know how many times this summer I've wanted to kiss you?"  
At this, the woman was rendered speechless. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Travis looked down, taking her silence as a dismissal. He turned away, and was about to stand up, when he turned to look at her once more, gently taking her hand in his, causing her head to snap around to stare at him.  
"Goodbye, Mary Jo." Travis lifted her hand to his lips, kissing it briefly. He was almost on his feet when he realised that his hand was still clasped in hers. The look in her eyes was all it took to convince him to sit down again.

They stared at each other.  
"Uh…"  
He fell silent as she pressed a finger to his lips, and leaned in until their lips met. If the night was warm, Travis' lips were warmer. She pulled away, to find him staring at her. A tiny smile had just formed on her lips when he leant forward to kiss her again. Mary Jo sighed into the kiss as his arm cautiously encircled her. She put a hand to his face, running her thumb lightly across his cheek. They may have run out of oxygen if they had not been startled by a sudden boom.  
"Oh look," smiled Mary Jo, laying her head on Travis' shoulder.  
"Fireworks."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Travis smiled down at the woman in his arms, then gratefully up to the heavens.

"I guess I owe you an apology," she murmured, when she had convinced herself to lift her head from his shoulder.  
"The reason I've been so…cold in the past few weeks is that…well, remember that day you helped me make a pie?"  
"Of course," Travis looked down at her with a smile at the memory, and she couldn't help smiling back.  
"Well, that night, I overheard you talking to Will. About me."  
The man was silent for a moment, then he groaned as he remembered that conversation.  
"And you thought I was telling the truth? Oh, I'm sorry. I mean, if I'd admitted how I really feel about you, Will might've been mad. I hadn't meant for you to hear."  
Mary Jo smiled, placing her hand on top of his and squeezing gently. "It was just a misunderstanding, and anyway, you've more than made up for it tonight."  
Travis grinned and pressed a light kiss to her forehead. She sighed contentedly, and had just laid her head back on his shoulder when she sat bolt upright again.

"But you leave tomorrow!"  
The man felt his stomach drop. He'd almost forgotten that.  
"Dammit! If I'd just confessed all of this to you earlier, we could've had two weeks!"  
"You _can't_ leave yet," whined Mary Jo, "You've only kissed me twice! And—"  
She was cut off as Travis eagerly went about altering that statistic, and soon she slid her arms up around his neck, pulling him closer. When she could form a coherent sentence again, she sighed, "Is there anything we can do? I'm sure Dad and Ma wouldn't mind if you stayed longer, they love you."  
"No, I can't just announce that I want to stay longer. Besides, my parents are expecting me back home. That'll be fun…"  
Noticing his flat tone, Mary Jo wrapped an arm around his waist and waited for him to explain. Looking across and realising that she was waiting and ready to listen, Travis chuckled to himself.  
"Well, when I get back home, I'm going to have to tell my father that I'm not going to be a lawyer."  
"You're not?"  
"No. I have no idea what I'm going to do, but all I know is that following my father's career path would turn me into a workaholic who has no time for his family, and I couldn't stand that. Spending the summer with you guys, I've realised how much I want the kind of family life that you enjoy. And I'm going to look for it, no matter what my father says."

He looked across to find Mary Jo smiling at him with a mixture of pride, affection and…oh, he couldn't describe it, but it took his breath away.  
"Maybe I could help you find it…" she whispered.  
Travis stared, wondering if her kisses had somehow effected his hearing. "You…you would?"  
She nodded. "I mean, it wouldn't be a bed of roses, I'd probably drive you crazy by the end of a week, but…I'm willing."  
Between her words and the look in her eyes, Travis was rendered speechless.  
"I…you're…wow, I, uh…"  
Mary Jo giggled. "Just nod, or shake your head."  
The man nodded vigorously, and they both burst out laughing.

"…But I still have to leave tomorrow."  
She bit her lip. "We could…run away…"  
Now Travis was _sure_ he was dreaming. "But what about…"  
He fell silent at the fire in her eyes. The most attractive woman he'd ever met wanted to run away with him, and who was he to protest? (Besides the fact that protesting was the last thing on his mind.)  
"How?"  
"There's an old bus in the barn. We never use it, but it goes."  
Travis got to his feet, and gave his sweetheart a hand up. "Let's go." He followed her to the edge of the platform, gesturing for her to climb down the ladder. "Ladies first."  
"How gentlemanly," Mary Jo replied, her eyes twinkling.

At the bottom of the ladder, they tiptoed across the yard, stifling laughter when Travis stumbled over a rake. In the barn, an old run-down bus waited for them. It was rusting in parts, and the yellow paint was peeling, but neither of them cared.  
"I'll have to push it out onto the road, we'll wake the family up if we start the motor."  
"Whaddaya mean _you'll_ have to push it?"

Travis tried to suppress his laughter as he glanced across at the petite blonde 'helping' him to push the bus across the yard. They had nearly got it past the house and through the gate when a piercing noise made them jump.

_Cockadoodle-doooo!_

The pair froze, praying that Mr. Robins wouldn't get out of bed to yell at the rooster. Checking her watch, Mary Jo hissed, "Jake, you're early, and it's most inconvenient!"  
There was a sleepy shout from inside.  
"Oh Jake, quit with the racket! I swear, one day I'm going to—"  
"Just go back to sleep, honey."  
Breathing a sigh of relief, they continued to push the bus out of the gate.  
"The keys are in the ignition," whispered Mary Jo, as they ran around to the front of the bus and climbed in. Travis leapt into the driver's seat, and started the motor on his third attempt. They shared an excited glance.  
"Let's go."

"You know, I've never actually been inside this bus," Mary Jo gazed around the vehicle's interior. "It's a bit shabby, but it's got potential."  
"I'm sure you could have it prettily decorated in no time," the man grinned, thinking to himself that all the interior really needed was that woman in the passenger seat.  
Mary Jo sighed in contentment. "Y'know, I like tonight."  
Travis chuckled, "Actually, darling, you like today. And I love it."  
She smiled, yawned, and stretched, getting to her feet.  
"You tired, honey?" she asked, standing behind him and massaging his shoulders.  
"Nope," the man replied, trying his best to keep his mind on the road ahead (and failing dismally).

"Oh," said Travis, checking the gauge. "We need gas."  
"There's a station just up here, I think."  
"…I don't have any money…"  
"Oh. We didn't really think about that, did we?"  
"I guess not. We don't have any food, either…"  
"Or a change of clothes…"  
"Or anything."  
They shared a worried gaze, and Travis pulled over.

"Maybe we should've thought this out a little more."  
"Yeah, maybe you're right…" Mary Jo leant her chin on her hand. "But it was very romantic, wasn't it?"  
Travis grinned and nodded. "The most romantic thing I've ever done."  
The woman perched on the edge of his seat to be closer to him, and he wrapped an arm around her. "So, what do we do?"  
Mary Jo sighed. "I guess we go back."  
"It's probably the best thing to do though, isn't it, even if we had another option," Travis reasoned. "I mean, imagine how your family'd feel if they woke up to find us missing. What would Betsy do? They'd all hate me, for a start. And you guys are such a close family, you could never really leave them and be happy, could you?"  
Mary Jo frowned at the resignation on his face as he reached to start the motor. "I'll take you home."

"Hold it, mister." She grabbed the hand on the ignition, and he looked up in surprise.  
"I still want to be with you, Travis. Heck, just you try and stop me!" he couldn't help but smile at that, and she smiled, smoothing her hands up his chest to tug on his collar. "Yes, we'll go back, and discuss everything with the family. But they'll understand, I know they will. Dad and Ma's romance was just as whirlwind as ours, so they say. We _are_ going to be together, Travis. Just not tonight."  
The man couldn't find any of the words to express what he felt in that moment, so he just planted a sweet kiss on the tip of her nose.  
"I'll take you home," he repeated, smiling this time. Once more, he was prevented from starting the motor.  
"We don't have to leave just yet, do we?" Mary Jo smiled, her fingers teasing the nape of his neck.  
"No," Travis shook his head, unable to tear his eyes from hers. "No, I don't think we do."


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own the song lyrics in this chapter. Obviously. **  
**

**Chapter 9**

Travis ran a hand through his hair, grinning at the flatness of the world zipping past the window. He glanced across at his fiancé in the passenger seat.  
"You alright, honey?"  
Mary Jo smiled and nodded, reaching across to squeeze his hand. "I'm better than alright. I mean, we'll see them again soon anyway, won't we?"  
"Of course. Betsy wouldn't let me steal you away for more than a few months."  
She smiled again. "They took it well, didn't they? Ma seemed quite pleased, actually. The funniest thing was how unsurprised Uncle Tony was."  
"He cottoned on fairly early, I think," Travis replied, "He'd always give me this knowing smile whenever he caught me looking at you."  
"Awww," Mary Jo beamed.  
"You know, I'm really glad that Dad helped you paint our bus," she said, gazing around the already-homely interior of their vehicle.  
"I think it made him feel better about letting his precious little girl go, knowing that he'd helped you on your way. You should've seen the lengths he went to to get the kitchen area exactly right; but you deserve the best, of course."  
The woman beamed again. "Well, it means I'll be able to cook you decent dinners anyway."  
"I look forward to it. For future reference, I like your apple pies," Travis winked.  
Mary Jo chuckled, gazing across at him as a comfortable silence fell.

"Y'know, I don't mind that Dad and Ma wanted us to wait to get married. This way, when we get back to Broken Arrow, there'll be no disputing that since we've lasted two months or so in a bus together and we're _still_ in love, getting married is the right decision."  
Travis nodded. "Besides, we already know what happens when we rush into things without thinking them out properly."  
Mary Jo chuckled at the memory of that sweet summer night. "But I'm also glad that we're taking this road trip together; for a start it's a great way to spend time with each other. And this way, I'll be there for you when you give your Dad the news; about your career path, and about us."  
The man smiled across at her with sincere gratitude in his eyes. "I may be needing you when it comes to that."  
"Well honey, whatever and whenever you need me, I'll be right here."  
"Mary Jo, turn on the radio, will you darlin'? If I'm not distracted from this sudden urge to kiss you, we might never get to my parents' house."  
Giggling at his shameless sweet-talk, she leaned forward and turned on the stereo. A folk song started to come through the static.

_I've got a never-ending love for you  
From now on, that's all I wanna do  
From the first time we met, I knew  
I'd sing my never-ending song of love for you_

_After all this time of being alone  
We can love one another, feel for each other, from now on  
Feels so good I can hardly stand it_

The couple didn't need to say anything. They just smiled at the road ahead. The road they were taking together.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Well, that's it! Except for a possible epilogue (this epilogue thing is becoming a habit). Many thanks to my readers (mostly Glitter girls), who are the main reason I grabbed this random idea and ran with it. I hope you enjoyed it.  
Genevievey 


End file.
